Reading the posts about what happens after a major disaster has made me think again about the idea of a portable generator for this kind of a scenario. Nothing that would tie into the breaker box and power the entire house, but perhaps something to run a small refrigerator and a few lights as needed, run it for 45 minutes, rest it for 15 or something similar.
Has anyone set themselves up with a backup generator? Any special planning?
My assumption is that you do not fuel it up until such time as it is needed. Store gasoline safely, be sure of no natural gas leaks prior to starting, only run as needed, etc.

You will never know if it is worth the investment unless you need it and then I am sure it will be money well spent.

Any toughts?

I bought my father this 2000W Honda:

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/ModelDetail.asp?ModelName=eu2000i

It's 2000W peak and 1600W running. I mainly bought it so he could run it in the RV campground. They are super-quiet; 53-59 db. Normal conversation is something like 58 db. It will run for 16 hours at 1/4 throttle. The great thing about it is that it weighs only 50 lbs so it is extremely portable. Even better: you can hook two of them up in tandem to produce 4000W peak and 3200W running.

They are expensive. I paid $869.00 two years ago. I think they are up around $1000 now. There are other brands that are much cheaper, but they are also much heavier and noisy. Strictly for a survival scenario they might be worthwhile though.

I think that with any generator you choose, they must be "exercised", that is, run under load for about an hour per month. This keeps the windings in good shape. (Maybe somebody with electrical training can chime in about that.) So it is a good idea to keep it gassed up and ready to go. Just make sure you add Sta-bil gas stabilizer to the gasoline and you'll be set.

Regards, Vince

In NC, USA, where I live, between hurricanes and freezing rain, "mini-disaster" power outages happen every few years. As a result, generators are popular. At our home we have multiple backup systems for heat and/or electricity (propane, kerosene, fireplace insert, electric radiant heater). Our 4000-watt Generac generator has come in handy a couple times. Rather than wiring it into the house, I just run contractor-grade extension cords to select appliances.

To keep it in shape, run it every now and then and follow the recommended maintenance intervals for oil changes, filter changes, etc. Put fuel stabilizer (e.g. StaBil) in the gas to keep the carb from clogging. The generator won't lose its generating power from not running it, but perhaps the brushes could corrode or bond to the commutator (if yours uses brushes) and you store it a long time without running it in a corrosive/humid environment?

For planning, don't forget oil and air filters are consumables, as well as gas. (The oil-change interval on mine is only 50-hours.)

If you're shopping, some pluses to consider are:
[list]
[*]4-stroke engines generally last longer and are quieter than 2-stroke engines (there are exceptions)
[*]cast-iron cylinder sleeves are good for durability
[*]brushless generators are better than having brushes
[*]Sine-wave output is better than noisy triangular- or square-wave output
[*]low-oil-PRESSURE sensors are better than low-oil-LEVEL sensors, and any low-oil-shutoff sensor is better than nothing
[*]peak wattage of appliances is usually much higher than steady-state wattage
[*]if you get the smallest generator you can live with it will be easier to move, be quieter, use less fuel, and cost less

From previous experience with the NC hurricane curse, buy one before anything happens.
You have never seen price gouging like generator prices when the power is out.
People bring truckloads of generators from out of the affected area and sell them for 3 to 5 times retail.

Thanks for the great input.
I think i will make the investment.
Left LAX on a flight today only to hear that there was a 3.5 quake that hit the area. Not big, but a message from a higher power that tells me it might be time to invest in a generator.

Remember, too, that when you run a generator to keep food cold/frozen in a refrigerator and/or freezer, it is NOT necessary to run it 24/7!!! You only need to run it (for those items) for maybe an hour at a time--the compressor does not run full-time even when power is not out.

Next power outage, I'm going to remind my neighbor of this...had to listen to one run--just for his freezer--for over 24 hours a couple of springs back. He wasted his fuel, & grated the nerves of all his neighbors, though he wasn't even home to mind his generator.

(Sorry, slipped into a bit of a rant...)

David

Skater, before you take the plunge and get a generator you need to decide what you are going to run and be sure you get a large enough generator to run it. If you can get by with one of the inverter type generators (the honda mentioned elsewhere in this thread) i would recommend that. It is small and quiet, your neighbors will appreciate it and most likely not even know you are running it. Also the inverter generators provide clean AC power and are more fuel efficient, the engine speed varies to match the load you are running, most of the non-inverter generators need to run at a constant 3600 rpm to make 60hz electricity.

If you use stabil remember that it is not forever, i have overhauled a number of carb's that were gunked up because someone put stabil in the fuel and left it there for a year or two. Read and follow the manufacturers recommendations for storage, most will recommend running it out of fuel. Since i live on the other coast i have some notice when a hurricane coming and can stock up on fuel, i haven't heard of 72 hour advance notice for an earthquake. You will need to store fuel, make a plan for rotating your fuel supply. Something simple like instead of going to the gas station and filling your vehicle, fill your vehicle from your reserves once every six to eight weeks and then go to the gas station and fill the now empty cans.

You will not have to run the generator 24/7 but be sure you run it enough. After the first hurricane blew through down here i didn't run the refrigerator enough to keep all of the food edible. And also explain to the household the rules of using the fridge when the power is out, it doesn't make cold when you don't hear the generator running.

A few years ago I installed a generator panel next to my main panel. I have a 5K watt generator that's enough to power about 3 circuits, the refrigerator and the heater furnace. I drain the tank and clean out the carburetor after each use. Since the carburetor was inexpensive I got an extra one as a spare. If the first one is gunked up, I can swap them out, clean out the old one had put it aside. The downside is that my generator is loud so I can't run it all the time.

Since I put in the generator panel I've had to use it twice. Both during storms that knocked out the power for about 5-6 hours during the early evening. Since I was the only one in the neighborhood with power we had a block party at my house. My neighbors brought the food and drinks and I had lights. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I don't think I could deal with the issues of storing fuel and avoiding gunking up a generator that would sit unused for years at a time. I've just waited out power failures and decided not to get serious about buying a generator. Yeah the stuff in the fridge can go bad if the power is out for too long, but spending $1000 on a generator to rescue 20 bucks of perishibles isn't financially sound. During the east coast blackout last year, people had outdoor barbecues and gave away food so it wouldn't spoil, and it was very relaxed and friendly, nothing like how people imagine NYC.

I could see having a small 12vdc to 120vac inverter to do stuff like charge up portable batteries in the car. You can get a 15 minute NiMH charger with four 2500 mAH AA cells for $25 or so now (Eveready), good for flashlights, radios, etc. It's really not necessary to run all the lights in the house when the power is out. Just have a few LED lanterns and flashlights around, use daylight for doing stuff and sleep at night.

Freezers will last longer without power if you don't open them. It can be worth coordinating this with your neighbors. Pool your freezers in groups of, eg 4. Empty one at a time and share the food between all 4 of you. Hopefully when you come to the last freezer its food will still be fresh because it has never been opened. By cooperating with your neighbors you made it last 4 times as long and everyone benefits.

Chest freezers stand being opened much better than upright ones, and external insulation/lagging should help an unopened one. Filling unused freezer space with ice instead of air helps too.

I'm guessing power is not so important for light as we all have dozens of ultra-bright LEDs now <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

(I expect you know all this but I mention it in case others are reading.)